Beginning in 2020, Alexander Hamilton will have to split duty as the face of the 10-dollar bill. The U.S. Treasury announced last night that a to-be-determined woman will be added to the bill to commemorate the centennial of the passage of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. The woman featured on the note will be the first woman on printed currency since 1896, when Martha Washington was featured on the dollar bill. Susan B. Anthony and Sacajawea were both featured on the dollar coin.
The new bill design has been dubbed "#New10."
Despite the recent "Woman on 20s" campaign that sought to replace Pres. Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill, the $10 is the next bill up for a redesign and thus was selected as the bill to commemorate the 19th Amendment.
From USA Today:
A woman will appear on the $10 bill beginning in 2020, the Treasury Department said Wednesday.
Just which woman is up to you.
Legally, the decision belongs to Jack Lew, but the Treasury secretary said he's seeking public input on which female historical figure should appear on U.S. paper currency for the first time in 119 years.
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Even then, Alexander Hamilton isn't going away. The first Treasury secretary played a leading role in developing the nation's financial system, and has been on the $10 since 1928. And there he'll remain, either on the reverse side or in a separate series of bills. Also, the 1.9 billion $10 bills now in circulation will likely last another 10 years.
Harriet Tubman was the winner of the "Women on 20s" campaign. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said that public input "would be considered" in the decision.
Personally? While I'm pretty bummed for Hamilton's quasi-demotion, I hope the woman selected is either Abigail Adams, Dolley Madison, or Martha Washington...although if we're still using physical cash in 2025 I'll be stunned.
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